Improvement in printing-telegraphs



UNITED STATES lPATENT Genion.

IMPROVEMENT IN PRINTING-TELEGRAPHS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 129,391, dated July 16,1872.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN S. BROWN, of Washington, in the county ofWashington and District of Columbia, have invented an Improved PrintingTelegraph Instrument; and I do hereby declare that the following is afull and exact description thereof, reference being had to theaccompanying drawing making part of this specification- Figure 1 being avertical section of the receiving-instrument, showing a side view of theworking parts thereof; Fig. 2, a top view, of the receiving-instrument;Figs. 3 and 4, views in detail of parts of the receiving-instrument;Fig. 5, a front view of the transmitting-instrument.

Like letters designate corresponding .parts in all of the gures. v

This telegraph instrument is used, with a two-wire line; and theprinciple on which its operation is based is, that the type-wheel isturned by the alternate action of two magnets, one in each line-circuit,while the printing is effected by the alternate action of one or both ofthe same magnets and a complete breaking of both line-circuits, and theunison stop is brought into action by revolving the typewheel with oneonly of the line-magnets, while the circuit of the other magnet reinains closed or open, and is released automatically on resuming theregular turning of the type-wheel by the two magnets alternately.

Let A B represent the two magnets, one in each of the wire circuits; C,the ratchet-wheel, by means of which the type-wheel is turned; and D thetype-wheel. Each of the magnets 'A B is composed of two spools, asusual, but only one spool of each magnet acts on the armature orarmatures F G, which turn the type-wheel, while the other spool of eachmagnet receives and attracts the lever-armature 1:',which effects theprinting. The respective spools or helices of the two magnets, by whichthe type-wheel is turned, are placed side by side, quite close together,and the armature F Ais pivoted at a between them, so that itvibrateswith the requisite extent of movement as it is alternatelyattracted to the magnets. For the simple purpose of turning thetypewheel, with a step-by-step movement, it would be sufficient toattach a pawl to each end of a single armature; the two pawls I K thusar ranged alternately push the ratchet-wheel O forward one notch; but,for the purpose of providing a unison-stop, another armature, G, isplaced by the side of the` armature F, vibrating on the same pivot, a.One end, b, of the armature G is made of brass or other nonmagneticmaterial, but the other end c is of iron. Both ends of the armature Fare of iron. The pawl I is attached to the armature F, and the pawl K isattached to the brass end b of the armature G, which projects over theadjacent end of the armature F, as shown in Fig. 2, the end of the saidarmature F being cut away or shouldered for that purpose, as shown inFig. 3, and this projecting end is of sufficient weight to overbalancethe other end c, except when the latter is attracted by the core of themagnet A, and thus, ordinarily, the end b rests on said armature F, thetwo armatures (shown separate in Fig. 3) moving together as one when themagnet A is magnetized, its attraction of both armatures uniting to liftthe pawl K, and when the magnet B is magnetized its attraction of thearmature F lifting the pawl I; but, when it is desired to secure or testthe unison of the instruments on theline,the transmitter-key L, Fig.5,isstopped at the period point, or any other point arranged for thepurpose, so as to hold the magnet B magnetized and the magnet Aunmagnetized, thereby keeping the pawl I lifted, and leaving thearmature G and its pawl K free to move, since the brass end b of thisarmature is uuaffected by the magnet B. rIhe arm d of the pawl I movesin a fixed guide, f, Fig. 1, and its upper end extends a little alongthe side of the ratchet-wheel C, while its click g takes into thenotches thereof. On the side of the said ratchetwheel is astop-projection, h, so arranged that itwill strike the end ofthe arm dof the pawl I when the latter is held lifted by the constant attractionof the magnet B and stop the type-wheel at the period point; but whenthe said magnet becomes demagnetized and the pawl I drops, the saidstop-projection will pass by the arm d and allow the type-wheel to turnagain. In order to bring the stop h around to the arm l in all theinstruments of the line together, to secure the unison, the circuit ofthe magnet A is alter-1 nately closed and broken, While the circuit ofthe magnet B is held closed, thus turning the ratchet-wheel by thesingle action of the pawl K. The transmitter is constructed with twometallic circuit-closing ring-plates, N O, on its face, insulated fromeach other either by simple spaces lc 7c or some non-conducting materialbetween, there being inwardly-extending teeth or projections t' on theinner edge of the outer plate N, and outwardly-extending teeth orprojections Z Zon the outer edge oi' the inner ring-plate O. The twosets of projections -i t' and Z Z intervene between one anotheralternately, as shown. The ring-plate N is in the circuit of the magnetA, and the plate O is in the circuit of the magnet B, and the circuitsof both are closed through an index, L, connected at the center of thetransmitter with the ground-wire, and touching as it revolves, bymetallic contact, the said projections t' ft' and Z Z alternately. Inorder to effect the unison movement, the transmitter has a separateunison-key, M, connected in circuit With the ground-wire, which isordinarily held on an insulated space opposite to the period point, asshown in Fig. 5. When it is turned around the periphery of thetransmitter it alternately passes over and comes in contact with theprojections z' t' of the circuit-closing u plate N of the magnet A, andwith the nonconducting surfaces between them, or passing over thenon-conducting spaces, if used; but since, in one revolution of thiskey, only half as many notches of the ratchet-Wheel C are moved as whenthe transmitting-key L is turned, which alternately comes in contactwith the said projections t' z' and the projections Z Z of thecircuit-closing plate O of the magnet B, as shown, hence the unison-keyis required to be turned twice around the transmitter to bring all theinstruments into unison. The key is then left in its previous positionagain, and the instrument is operated by the transmitting-key as usual,the first breaking of the circuit of the magnet B drawing down the pawlI and allowing the stop H to pass by its arm cZ. The printing-hammer israised by a lever-armature, P, pivoted at m, or its equivalent, which issituated over the other otherwise unoccupied helix of both magnets A B,the arrangement being clearly shown in Figs. l and 2. It is held down bythe attraction of the magnets, and is raised to effect the printing by acounter spring, n, situated at the pivot m, or in any other convenientposition. The spring is so adjusted in strength that, when either of themagnetsA B is magnetized, the armature P is held down and the printingis effected only when both magnets are demagnetized. Therefore, whilethe type-Wheel is moving, since the two magnets are alternatelymagnetized in immediate succession, the printin g-armature cannot rise,nor when the transmitting-key L is stopped, since that is always on aclosed circuit of one or the other magnet. To break both circuits atonce, and thereby allow the printing-armature to rise and force itshammer upward, a printing-key, Q, is provided on the transmitter, which,when depressed, cuts the circuit of both the ground wires. It, is keptraised by a spring or its equivalent.

In order to prevent the vibration of the armatures F G so as to move thetype-wheel after printing, particularly when printing the same letter orcharacter successively, the armature F is held by a slight spring athalf vibration between the cores of the magnets A B. As

shown in Fig. l, this is arranged by means of an arm, p, projectingdownward from the said armature to a spring, @which holds the armaturein position, and yields either way when either magnet attacks thearmature. Therefore, when the printing-key breaks both circuits, thearmatures F G only vibrate half way back-not sufficiently to move theratchetwheel a notch. The paper is fed along by the armature-lever P, inthe manner shown in the drawing. The vibrating end of this armatureextends into a notch or space in the middle of the lower feed-roller R,in which space there is a ratchet-wheel, s, under which the armatureextends, and is provided with a hookpawl, t, that at each ascent of thearmature takes into a further notch of the said ratchet- Wheel, and atthe next descent of the armature moves the ratchet-wheel the distance ofa notch, and thereby turns the feed-roller. There is no special noveltyin the arrangement of the inking-roller S.

Vhat I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent,is-

l. A printing telegraph instrument, the

type-wheel of which is turned bythe alternatev action of twoelectro-magnets, substantially as herein specified.

2. A printing telegraph instrument, the printing-hammer of which isoperated by the action of the same two magnets that turn the type-wheel,in connection with a counterspring or its equivalent, substantially asherein specilied.

3. A printing-telegraph instrument, in which the paper is fed along bythe action of the same two magnets that turn the type-wheel,substantially as herein speciiied.

4. A printing-telegraph instrument, in which the unison-stop is broughtinto action by one of the magnets that turn the type-wheel,substantially as herein specified.

5. A printing-telegraph instrument, in which the unison-stop is releasedby simply resuming the alternate action of the two magnets .thatturn thetype-Wheel, substantially as herein specified.

6. The combination of the alternately-acting magnets A B, vibratingarmature or armatures F Gr, pawls I K, and ratchet-wheel C or itsequivalent, substantially as and for the` purposes herein specified.

7. The combination of the armatures F G, pawls I K, and stop h,constructed and arranged substantially as and for the purpose hereinspecified.

8. The combination of the printing-armature P with the magnets A B,substantially' as and for the purpose yherein specified.

9. The armature F, provided with the arm p and spring r, in combinationwith the magnets A B and printingfarmature P, substantially as and forthe purpose herein specified.

10. The combination of the armature P, provided with the hook-pawl t andthe paper feedroller R, formed as described, and provided with theratohetwheel s, substantially as herein speoied.

1l. The combination of the interposed oireuit-elosing plates N and O andthe transmittin g-key L, substantially as herein specified.

12. The additional unison-key M, on the transritter, arranged andoperating substantially as herein specified.

13. The transmitter, provided with the transmitting, unison, andprinting-keys L M Q, arranged and operating substantially as hereinspecied.

JOHN S. BROWN. Witnesses:

E. M. GALLAHER, R. D. O. SMITH.

